Director: Tod Williams
Run Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Rating: R
The Bouw-Man.
From a business standpoint, one can appreciate what “Paranormal Activity” was able to accomplish. With a slight production budget of just $15,000, the makers used savvy marketing and word of mouth to push its domestic box office to over $100 million (almost $108 million to be exact). The phenomenon also grew oversees as worldwide it garnered a box office total of over $193 million. Imagine turning $15,000 into $193 million. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Really make you wonder if low-budget, documentary-style horror films will rule the world very soon when you can produce results like these.
Obviously the appeal of the first “Paranormal Activity” film was it appeared to be real. Movies predicated on horror and thrills can draw in audience if people think this actually happened. Whether “Paranormal Activity 2” will have the same effect, is anyone’s guess. I’m fearful that they’re going to keep making one “Paranormal Activity” film after another (just like the “Saw” franchise), until the material is as thin as paper. When you’re able to make films that can produce this type of payday from such a low budget, you can bet they will try to capitalize on this good fortune until the well has run dry. If you do go see “Paranormal Activity 2,” expect a lot of scary tones coupled with people from the audience yelling whenever a ghost-related figure appears on screen. That’s what the trailer promises, with its security camera-type footage.
Prediction.
Well, last weekend people came out in droves to see the latest “Jackass” film to the tune of almost $59 million. Obviously, today’s audience doesn’t want to think too much when they head out to the movies. “Paranormal Activity 2” should be solid this week, despite the competition from “Jackass 3D” Expect somewhere in the neighborhood of $35 million for its opening weekend total.
Opening Weekend Gross: $35 Million
Noodles.
Is it just me or are the trailers for these kinds of "reality" based horror films better when they show you less. I feel like the first movie's trailer made me want to watch the film more by showing how freaked the audience was watching it. You didn't know what to expect and that made you more inclined to go. With this new trailer some of the effects are shown, and I think it ruins the anticipation a little. Think about how freaky it was to see that guy's back hurling at the camera for the first time in the theater. Its a shocking scary moment, that would have been slightly diminished had you known they were going there ahead of time. Not to mention the other stunts like the chick getting dragged by invisible hands looks better when you have the tension set up by 40 minutes of suspense before you see it.
Prediction.
While this kind of movie doesn't stir anything in me to want to run out and go see it, I know that there are millions of fans that will. The early reviews brand this sequel as an excellent follow up to the original so I think that so close to Halloween its going to do very well. Jackass 3D will still win the weekend, but Paranormal Activity 2 will come in at a strong second.
Opening Weekend: Gross: $22 Million
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